ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – In a reception held on the eve of the ECAC Hockey Championship semifinals at Boardwalk Hall, the league office announced the winners of the 2012-13 conference honors Thursday evening.

Dartmouth’s Mike Keenan was tabbed as a member of the All-ECAC Hockey Second Team for his efforts as a senior this past season in helping the Big Green to a fifth-place finish in the league standings.

The Green were also the recipient of the Turfer Athletic/Joe Marsh Sportsmanship Trophy, presented to the team voted to be the most gentlemanly over the course of the season.

It was also announced that sophomore center Tyler Sikura was a finalist for the Best Defensive Forward honor, given to the player who exemplifies and excels at a two-way style of play.

For Keenan, it was his first time being recognized by the ECAC Hockey head coaches, who vote on all awards and team selections.

Keenan set new career highs in goals (5), assists (11), points (16) and penalty minutes (58) in his final season wearing a Dartmouth sweater. In addition to his Second Team ECAC Hockey recognition, Keenan was also named a member of the 2012-13 All-Ivy League First Team.

Only the sixth player in the program’s 107-year history to serve as captain twice, Keenan suited up in 108 games over four seasons, including 101 consecutive contests to end his career, amassing 37 points on nine goals and 28 assists.

Just this week, the South Weymouth, Mass., native signed an amateur tryout contract with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League (AHL).

In addition to the individual recognition bestowed on its captain, Dartmouth was presented with the league’s sportsmanship award, which this year was renamed to honor the longtime St. Lawrence head coach Joe Marsh.

The 149 penalties are the fewest taken by a Dartmouth team in a season under Bob Gaudet and are 52 fewer than the average of 201 penalties per year since the beginning of the 1999-00 campaign.

The Big Green were also whistled for fewer penalties than opponents in 19 of 34 games and posted the second-best improvement of any team in the league from 2011-12 to 2012-13 in terms of both penalties and PIMs.

Although Sikura was not on any of the three league teams, he was recognized as one of the conference’s premier two-way players with his selection as a finalist for the Best Defensive Forward Award. Cornell’s Greg Miller was tabbed as the winner.

Like Keenan, Sikura was also a member of the All-Ivy League First Team announced two weeks ago. Not only did the Aurora, Ontario, native finish the season as the team leader in goals (12), assists (20) and points (32) and serve as the team’s top faceoff specialist, but was regularly matched up against opponents’ top forward lines. His two shorthanded goals currently rank tied for the best mark in the league this season as he also was a major reason for Dartmouth’s success on the penalty kill in 2012-13.

Top-seeded Quinnipiac will take on seventh-seeded Brown in the first semifinal, while third-seeded Yale and fourth-seeded Union will play in the second match-up on Friday before a league champion is crowned Saturday night.